


Spirit and Letter

by woodsong_1978 (Vae)



Category: Firefly
Genre: Community: ff_friday, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-04-04
Updated: 2006-04-04
Packaged: 2017-12-07 07:37:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/745968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vae/pseuds/woodsong_1978
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when you can't keep even the spirit of the law?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spirit and Letter

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here](http://community.livejournal.com/ff_friday/281122.html). Strictly speaking, this is "letter" not "letters"

“Never perform surgery on someone to whom you have an emotional attachment.”

They’d told him that. Drilled it in to him.

“Never perform surgery on a friend.”

Over and over.

“Never perform surgery on a family member.”

Again and again.

“Never perform surgery on someone to whom you have an emotional attachment.”

Those were the rules.

“If you have any issues, speak to your duty administrator. You will be reassigned.”

What do you do when there is no duty administrator?

“One of your colleagues will be assigned to perform the surgery.”

What do you do when there is no one else to be assigned?

“Never perform surgery on someone to whom you have an emotional attachment.”

You do it yourself.

He took a slow breath and turned back into the infirmary, making the mental switch from “Mal” to “patient”.

Because when you can’t keep the spirit of the rules, you can still keep to the letter.

“Never perform surgery on someone to whom you have an emotional attachment.”

Patient. No emotional attachment.


End file.
